Welcome back to course reviews! Today, I will be reviewing Pebble Beach Golf Links.** Location: Monterey County, California Course Architects: Jack Neville and Douglas Grant Membership Status: Public Price: $525 (!!) Member Count: N/A Transportation: Power carts or carrying - no push carts Yardage: 5249-6828 **for the sake of length, I will only be reviewing the Pebble Beach course, not the four others. Whether you like the views, the challenge, or just the thought of playing on the same course as Jack Nicklaus, Pebble Beach Golf Club has something to offer everyone. Though both the founders and most of the public consider Pebble Beach a links style golf course, by definition, it is not. Links or not, this course is a truly spectacular experience that I had the privilege to enjoy two years ago. Review: The experience starts with the world-famous 17-mile drive to the course, where you can stop and take pictures at attractions like the Lone Cyprus, the Fanshell Overlook, Spanish Bay, and Point Joe. After you drop off your clubs at the bag drop, you can look around in the huge pro-shop that’s filled with souvenirs. They also have a junior golf store for any kids lucky enough to play there. I remember the starter being very friendly, too. They do offer caddie services, but my dad and I opted out. You can find reviews on the caddies at https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g32867-d127857-r144075070-Pebble_Beach_Golf_Links-Pebble_Beach_Monterey_County_California.html . My Favourite Holes: #7: As perhaps one of the most famous (and beautiful!) par-3s in the world, this hole is a photo-op must. Downhill and with water surrounding this peninsula green, it’s best to aim short and left. This truly is a postage-stamp of a hole. #8: This long and daunting par-4 challenges even the most experienced golfers. With an uphill walk to the teebox and a downhill shot over the ocean down to the green, this hole is both scary and beautiful. #18: I have very good memories of walking up the 18th with my dad at dusk. This hole leads up to the clubhouse, where you’ll have an audience, which makes the experience all the more thrilling. With the ocean stretching along the left side and a tree on the right, your difficult round will end with an even more difficult hole.
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Welcome to Course Reviews! Here, I will review some of the golf courses that I have played. Today, I will be reviewing Stone Eagle Golf Club: Location: Palm Desert, California Course Architect: Tom Doak Membership Status: Private Price: A steal at $100, but you must be a guest of a member. Member Count: <250 Transportation: Carts recommended Tees: 4899 - 6840 Review: Carved into the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains of Palm Desert, California, Stone Eagle Golf Club stands out as a jewel amongst hundreds of courses in the area. The mountainous terrain lends itself to drastic slopes and curves, which is one of the many things that make this course tough, but also beautiful. The fairways are wide and relatively forgiving, but if you do manage to hit one out, you should definitely hit a provisional - the fairways are tightly lined with rugged desert terrain. You won’t want to go ball hunting, as there is an abundance of rattlers during the spring and summer. The course is extremely wall-manicured, however this is a compromise for the many greenskeepers you will see on the course - particularly if you have an early tee time. There are rarely more than about six groups out on the courses at one time, often fewer. The greens are perhaps the trademark of the course, being firm, fast, and incredibly sloped. They can also be quite deceiving, as they are often the complete opposite of what you read because of the surrounding mountains. One of the most enjoyable parts of a full day of golf at Stone Eagle is eating at The Aerie, the course’s restaurant, tucked high up on the course, away from the clubhouse and parking lot and is only accessible by golf cart. From great food and service, to being able to stretch out on a sofa by the fire pit on cold desert evenings; from the intimate size to the miraculous view, The Aerie is something to look forward to after your round no matter how you played. The course also includes a par-3 19th hole next to The Aerie, which can be fun to practice on (or, in my case, it’s for when you're tired of listening to your parents talk about politics at the lunch table). Overall, this course is a roller-coaster ride of a golf course that caters to all skill levels. I highly recommend Stone Eagle to any golfer as a one-of-a-kind experience. Hole-by-Hole: (images below) 1 - (Par 4) One of the shorter and easier holes on the course, but also has a narrower fairway than many of the others. A good opening hole to “ease” you into things. 2 - (Par 4) This hole’s signature is its green, being one of the toughest on the course. It is two-tiered, and will roll off the front if you don’t get it there. There’s a backstop, so the safe play is to go long and let it roll back. This hole is much longer than others if you’re playing from the forward tees. 3 - (Par 3) This hole is short, but scary. Playing about one club downhill, and often strongly affected by wind, it’s easy to miscalculate the distance. With five bunkers guarding the green, and deep desert canyon close right, the smart play is to go short left - that is, if you're okay with just a par. 4 - (Par 4) Pin placement will help you determine where to position your tee shot on this hole - if you go too far right with a right pin placement, you’ll be left with a blind shot over a large mound of rocks and desert bushes. It’s a tricky tee shot on this hole, too. You must hit over a stretch of desert that’s 230 yards long from the back tees. And even if you do fly it, theres still the downhill slope towards the course’s only water hazard to worry about. Be careful where you hit your approach - on this short and wide green, its best to be on the same side of the spine as the pin. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a 50 footer. 5 - (Par 4) If you hit a long, straight ball, then this is the hole for you. If not, don’t be afraid to play this hole as a par-5. From the back tees, this hole is 418 yards long, straight uphill, and usually plays into the prevailing wind. 6 - (Par 4) Although it may seem fun to rip a drive over the right-hand side of this sharp dogleg, it won’t be so fun if you end up looking for your ball in the desert. Unless you're feeling really confident, it’s best to aim left towards the abundant fairway. 7 - (Par 3) After you make the long and somewhat scary drive up to the number 7 tee-box, take a moment to stop and look at the beautiful view of Palm Desert. Oh, and you might want to say a quick prayer as you pass The St. Margaret’s Cross on the Mountain - you may need it for this hole! This hole is 218 yards from the back tee, and although it may seem extremely downhill, it will only play about a club down since it plays into the slope of the mountain. 8 - (Par 5) Be careful of the deep bunker on the righthand side of this tee shot - although it may seem easy to miss, it attracts more balls than you'd think. Unless you're a really long hitter, you'll probably have to lay up to to desert hazard in front of the green. And bring lots of clubs with you when you walk up to the green because its often hard to see where your ball ends up, and it’s often uglier than you expected. 9 - (Par 4) Be cautious of where you put your tee shot on this double-decked fairway. Left will leave you a blind shot to the green or even a bunker shot, and right will leave you in jail. It’s a short hole, so driver might not be the best play. 10 - (Par 4) Before you tee off, walk up to the championship tees and take a look around. This is the highest point on the golf course. The important thing when hitting your tee shot is to not get scared - a straight shot up the left side of the fairway will leave you in perfect position for any pin placement. The steep mountainside just behind the green leaves an uphill approach and makes it hard to read putts. Just remember that it always breaks away from the mountain! 11 - (Par 4) Avoid the bunkers on this tee shot and you're already in good position. On the approach, make sure to aim right and take one less club than normal. I find that this hole rolls more than the others on approach, and you will often be left with a tough chip and an uphill lie long of the green is you don’t club down. 12 - (Par 3) Just aim right. Sounds simple right? Well, it doesn't seem so simple when you’re standing over your ball, about to hit a shot over a gorge of desert. 13 - (Par 5) Long hitters will have a tough choice on this tee shot to avoid the deep desert arroyo that reaches across the entire fairway - take less club or aim right over the bunker? 14 - (Par 4) The blind tee shot on this hole makes it tough for first-timers to know where to aim. At 415 yards, this hole is longer than others, especially because most won't be able to hit driver off the tee without reaching the hazard. 15 - (Par 3) This is a simple hole, really, once you get over your nerves… 16 - (Par 4) It’s tough to properly place a tee shot on this hole - the fairway slopes away right and left, and there’s bunkers in the middle. Distance accuracy is key. 17 - (Par 5) Don’t be embarrassed to play up a tee box on this hole. For many, the 210 yard carry over the desert is just too much. Your layup shot must go through a tight gap in between rocks. If you make it there, you will be greeted with a tricky and, I think, a somewhat unfair approach shot. Good shots will often roll off the side and front of the green. 18 - (Par 4) Perhaps the hardest hole on the course, this hole is long, narrow, and is both uphill and downhill. If you want the extra distance off the tee from the downward slope in the fairway, you’ll pay a price by getting an equal amount of roll left. This will leave you an approach over a group of near-impossible bunkers. This hole is so much of an amusement park that a member once said to “hit it through the clown’s mouth”, when referring to a playing partner’s approach on this hole. All images courtesy of www.stoneeaglegolf.com *please note that not all pictures have been taken from the tee box |